Secret Garden

Caines, Australia Photo by Mr. Blue

"Shell let you in her house

If you come knockin late at night

Shell let you in her mouth

If the words you say are right

If you pay the price

Shell let you deep inside

But theres a secret garden she hides

Shell let you in her car

To go drivin round

Shell let you into the parts of herself

Thatll bring you down

Shell let you in her heart

If you got a hammer and a vise

But into her secret garden, dont think twice

Youve gone a million miles

How fard you get

To that place where you cant remember

And you cant forget

Shell lead you down a path

Therell be tenderness in the air

Shell let you come just far enough

So you know shes really there

Shell look at you and smile

And her eyes will say

Shes got a secret garden

Where everything you want

Where everything you need

Will always stayA million miles away"

Bruce Springsteen

A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Edgar Allan Poe

Saprophytes and the Decline of the Empire

Sap•ro•phyte: noun (Origin: 1870–75) any plant that depends on dead plant or animal tissue for a source of nutrition and metabolic energy. Most saprophytes do not produce chlorophyll and therefore do not photosynthesize; they are thus dependent on the food energy they absorb from the decaying tissues.

“Strange new problems are being reported in the growing generations of children whose mothers were always there, driving them around, helping them with their homework - an inability to endure pain or discipline or pursue any self-sustained goal of any sort, a devastating boredom with life.”

Betty Friedan (1921 - 2006)

Every generation has expressed concern with the judgment and commitment of the succeeding generation. The process highlights the gradual evolution of societal values and changes in social morals. I struggle to gauge my opinions against this historical experience of the elder generation, but after considerable personal debate, I think something is fundamentally wrong with the future of the empire. Throughout history succeeding generations have wrested the mantle of leadership by sweat, blood and physical endurance. The continued growth of the empire has always survived and prospered on the strong backs and minds of its youth. Exertion and determination has historically forged the values of the nation’s youth into a collective commitment of success. In our society has always encompassed a range of classes from the overachievers to the underachievers. Capitalism tends to polarize society into the haves and have not’s which has served to illustrate by example the perils of underachievement. Never before has underachievement represented such a majority opinion in the succeeding generation. The current direction of the next generation alarms me over the rapid decline of the once great empire.

Look around the signs of decline and decay is overwhelmingly oblivious. Take your pick of the seven deadly sins lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy or vanity which infests our youth of society. To differing extends all of these traits are engrained in our youth coated with a thick patina of apathy. The next generation has assumed the role of saprophytes in the ecology of our society. Saprophytes produce nothing of value but only exist on feeding off the decaying efforts of other plants.

The origin of the decline rests with the do no harm parenting approach and continuous pampering of what I call the marginal generation. Every aspect of daily life is filled with praise and supportive nurturing regardless of the meaninglessness of the activity which provides such a smothering environment of regressive development and emotional dependancy. Attending every baseball or soccer game, mommy is present ever vigilant to treat any emotional distress as dependence on social support is engrained while stifling motivation as every need is met in overabundance. Excessive coddling has manifested itself in an entitlement mentality which is pervasive in society. It’s not my fault that I murdered someone; it was the fault of my abusive family environment which never bought me the newest computer games. Who ever said life was going to be perfect?

Showered with closets overflowing with the newest toys which are objects of interest for a few minutes, they sit in front of the television being trained in a life of consumerism. The process of selling has been so refined and instilled in our culture it is considered a recreational activity. Our youth now makes life decisions purely to support their need for consumer gratification. However this quest for the finer things in life is not focused into dedication and hard work, but rather in ingenious plans to obtain fame and fortune by entitlement and laziness. Large percentages of college graduates, if they graduate at all, move back home so they can live off their parents in order to support an excessive lifestyle of new cars and designer clothing. Increasing percentages of college graduates have never held a job by the time they graduate from college supported only by mom, dad and the student loan program. Ask most first year students why they chose the program their enrolled in and the answer overwhelmingly is it where I can make the most money and get rich. How can you ever succeed in life without a burning desire beyond holding out until payday? Our future is going to be disastrous fueled by an entire generation who refuses to invest but expects wealth to be given as an entitlement. How many malpractice attorneys does the world need? Talk about a monumental wave of midlife crisis covering a large number of the population, when the realization that nothing is given when nothing is earned.

The implications for society are abysmal when we look at the shift from social networks to virtual networks. Social skills are developed with constant interaction with people of all ages, not by being cooped up in mom’s basement playing video games for seven hours a day. We are creating a generation of social minimalists that only feel comfortable in the virtual worlds of gratuitous violence. We wonder why the dramatic increase of schoolyard killing has the education system in a panic. What can you expect from teenagers who spent all their spare time acting out ritual violence in isolation with blunted social skills? This has resulted in one of the lowest professional and public participation rates by youth in history. Why value contributing to society when most is your waking day is seeking fulfillment of self absorbed gratification. It is truly all about me and what will be given to me. All of this activity is reinforced with submissive parenting skills.

It’s interesting that youth is waiting longer and longer before getting married and committing to lifelong relationships. Their answer is wrapped up in an elaborate explanation of personal growth and discovery. Bullshit, I think that they are so self absorbed that they don’t want anyone playing with their stuff. Why should I have to share responsibility for someone else’s needs? That diminishes the time I can spend on myself. Instead, the marginal generation has created this new deeply emotional relationship called friends with benefits. In other words we can have sex with no emotional attachment, but don’t expect a birthday card because it would distract me from my self worship. I know of children who are a result of this wonderful relationship. Just imagine the conversation when the child gets older and wants to know about his mom. “Well I never really knew any thing about her except that after six shots of Jack we would crawl in the back of her car and fuck.” Friends with benefits are really a form of masturbation. Getting tired of screwing your girlfriend in your parent’s bed because your knapsack in the basement just isn’t GQ enough, no problem tossed the bitch like a rash and move on to the next.

The minimal generation is a walking poster child for the seven deadly sins. Which deadly sin should we focus on next? Why not focus on vanity? The fact cosmetic surgery centers are being filled with large numbers of teenage girls spending grandma’s birthday money on beast augmentation in order to fit in with the crowd. A female breast won’t even mature for another decade, why mutilate a body for a temporary mental insecurity which is part of growing up? The dependency on physical appearance is a result of consumerism exorcizing our basis insecurities. What about gluttony? I have to admit that the minimal generation doesn’t maintain sole domain over this sin. Thirty percent of the population is now classified as obese. Food is the perfect consumer product for a self absorbed population. Just think about it. It’s sold and consumed in a matter of minutes and has a short shelf life so that the industry is in constantly replenishing the supply in a never ending process of converting their product into compost.

Our consumer economy has cultivated the sin of envy to a status symbol. Why can’t I drive a Lexus or BWM like my next door neighbor? Children are trained from the earliest moments of life to envy someone who has more possessions or the newest gadget. We are driven to envy the lifestyle we don’t possess. The jeans we wear, the bourbon we drink, 600 count Egyptian cotton sheets we sleep in, the toasters we buy, all are driven at a fundamental level by consumer envy. Cities are blanketed with huge billboards of beautiful men and women whose illusionary lifestyle beckons you to envy them; maybe you can become part of their world if you would only drink the same bourbon. The best way to join that class of social billboard elite is if you drink the same bourbon, lose two hundred pounds, have a facelift and buy a winning lottery number.

The empire has experienced an unprecedented period of prosperity for over two decades. Many segments of society have never experienced an economic downturn, leaving them unprepared to accept a lifestyle aligned with their contribution to society, his is especially true for the minimal generation. I have little sympathy for those who have lived beyond their means and are now in financial collapse because of living on other people’s money. Like a bruise is the outward expression of an internal hemorrhage, our society is hemorrhaging from the inside out. Hard times which will test the will of a nation are ahead. We can recognize this decay and act to change society or take the lead of the minimal generation and head back down to the basement, crawl into an electronic game and masturbate until the power goes off.

“Civilization is the distance man has placed between himself and his excreta.”

Brian Aldiss

“We live in a time of transition, an uneasy era which is likely to endure for the rest of this century. During the period we may be tempted to abandon some of the time-honored principles and commitments which have been proven during the difficult times of past generations. We must never yield to this temptation. Our American values are not luxuries, but necessities - not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself. “

Jimmy Carter (1924 - )

Wild Nights

Pacific Ocean off Baranof Island, Alaska 2007 Photo by Mr. Blue

WILD nights! Wild nights!
Were I with thee,
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!

Futile the winds
To a heart in port,—
Done with the compass,
Done with the chart.

Rowing in Eden!
Ah! the sea!
Might I but moor
To-night in thee!

Emily Dickinson (1830–86)

The Green Wave: Sink or Swim

“The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.”

Zeno (335 BC-264 BC)

Sustainability is on the minds of every industry as the green movement has reached a critical mass. In the short time frame of fifteen years, green architecture and sustainable technologies have evolved from a radical fringe of ardent supporters to a generally accepted public mandate that is revolutionizing the entire world economy. Below the surface is a monumental shift in corporate thinking which is refining this brave new green world. Every industry will be challenged to make the shift to a new paradigm in order to prosper or even survive. The landscape and nursery industry has always been in the center of the green movement, but is not generally perceived as a leader which consistently brings innovation to the table. There can be no denying the magnitude of the sustainability movement as it becomes increasing codified in our daily life. The time is fast approaching for the landscape and nursery industry to assess its future and decide to either sink or swim in the mounting green wave. The commitment to become leaders in the sustainability movement will require dedication and innovation from both individual businesses as well as trade organizations.

The first question that arises is “what does it mean to be green?” Unfortunately, there are no publicly established policies or guidelines which are definitive, but rather a series of sometimes vague and confusing principals. Being green is easiest described as a way of thinking, in that every action shall do no wrong or diminish the earth’s resources for future generations. The difficult part is that every industry will be required to define these sustainable principals for their specific industry. Be assured that this process will not be simple and the rules will constantly change, but every industry will struggle in defining its role in the new green economy.

The origins of this green tidal wave can be traced back to a single document. In 1992, the City of Hanover, Germany hired architect William McDonough to craft a series of environmental principals to guide architects and planners in the development of exhibits for the 2000 World Expo to be held in Hanover. This short list of environmental goals came to be known as the Hanover Principals. Although over the years these sustainable principals have been expanded, interpreted, defined and debated, they are still the fundamental foundation of the sustainability movement.

As other industries begin to define their role in sustainability, they contribute useful tools which can help the landscape and nursery industry to find its way. Places to look for current thinking and valuable information include the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) www.usgbc.org, which has established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) www.asla.org has established a strategic partnership with a number of environmental organizations called the Sustainable Site Initiative www.sustainablesites.org to establish a green site rating system for individual sites. There are a number of organizations such as “Cradle to Cradle Certification” www.mbdc.com/certified.html, which helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality environmentally-intelligent design. Industry specific guides are emerging such as the Certified Forest Products Council (CFPC) www.certifiedwood.org which provides information about sustainable forestry, and includes a directory of sustainably harvested lumber.

Although these organizations provide some insight in how sustainability is interrupted by other associations, none of the documents will address in detail the needs for the landscape and nursery industry. This will come from within the industry as we begin to look critically at the opportunities for changing traditional practices and replacing them with more environmentally friendly business practices. The initial areas for consideration are easy to identify such as business practices that negatively impact air quality, water quality, biodiversity and consumption of natural resources. Let’s look at each of these four simple opportunities in more detail as they might relate to traditional industry practices, knowing that there are dozens of other subjects that should be considered in mainstreaming sustainability into every aspect of the landscape and nursery industry.

Air Quality

With the emissions from operating and refueling of landscape equipment, vehicles have a significant impact on air quality. Small gasoline-powered engines often produce much greater levels of pollution than that of a full sized car per hour of operation. The estimates can be as much as 1000 times more emissions are produced from small gasoline-powered engines. When these engines are mistuned, or run without air filters, measurements show as much as 50% of the fuel exhausted as unburned hydrocarbons. The EPA estimates that as much as 5% of urban air pollution can be linked to their usage. Considering the entire carbon footprint of the landscape and nursery industry, the consequences are significant.

A sustainable approach would minimize air pollution by investing in hybrid or fossil free vehicle fleets as well as a mileage optimization on how those fleets are deployed each day. Small gas-powered engines can be replaced with electric powered equipment. While electric still has environmental impacts primarily in the manufacturing process, the total embodied energy used during the equipment’s life cycle cost is much less. The most environmentally friendly grounds maintenance equipment is human powered which does not rely on a power source. I believe there could be an emerging niche in the market for a premium priced high sustainability ground maintenance service.

Water Quality

The landscape and nursery industry applies a vast amount of chemical based pesticides and fertilizers which, even with the best management practices, are subject to leaching into stream ways and water courses. While monumental progress has been made in training grounds staff in the proper calibration and application of the chemicals, it does illustrate the industry’s reliance on preventative chemical use instead of prescriptive treatment of diseases. An enlightened chemical approach which reduces generic broad based preventative treatments in favor of selective targeted solutions would shift the chemical industry’s investment toward development of new softer solutions. A serious discussion in the landscape industry needs to challenge the reliance on traditional chemical approaches and foster greater acceptance of ecological based approaches.

The greatest impact the landscape and nursery industry has on water quality is in the management of construction activities through the primary responsibility for erosion control. Our experience indicates the landscape industry is only marginally engaged in erosion control. No other trade has a greater opportunity to express leadership in managing water quality during site grading and establishment of vegetation. This industry should be the foremost advocate and expert in site erosion control implementation. Accepting responsibility for the site can expand revenues for forward thinking companies.

With the increased development of suburban areas, more frequent and pronounced flooding has occured. This not only results in erosion, stream pollution, and destruction of aquatic habitat, but tremendous property damage and loss of human lives. Several compelling best management practices exist that the industry can use to help to reduce flooding and reuse a precious natural resource. These stormwater based solutions such as rain harvesting, rain gardens, green roofs and bioswales, while not new have garnered a new wave of public interest. The best thing about these stormwater technologies is that they easily fall into the traditional market of the industry. A concerted effort in promoting integrated stormwater solutions within the industry would represent another leadership position the industry could assume.

Declining Biodiversity

The world's biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, with current extinction rates that are at least 900 times higher than natural rates found in the fossil record. Over 15,000 plant and animal species are now considered at risk of extinction representing an increase of 3,330 species since 2003. The landscape and nursery industry may contribute more to declining biodiversity than it does in preventing it. Consider the impacts of introduction of invasive plants into the landscape, clearing land, establishment of lawns, planting too few species that benefit wildlife, overuse of pesticides and dominant use of limited varieties of plants like Bradford pears and junipers.

When non-native plants "escape" from our landscape and take over natural areas they choke out the wide variety of native plants on which wildlife depends. Our desire for large lawn lots results in significant clearance of natural areas which fragments wildlife habitat. While less than 10% of all insects are harmful to plants, most pesticides are harmful or lethal to all insects. The industry maintains a dominant focus on horticultural planting strategies instead of advocating more complex ecological based plantings. We have become our own worst enemy in perpetuating traditional solutions as the basis of most designs.

A dramatic shift in conventional thinking is necessary to address sustainability in the core of the landscape and nursery industry. The industry needs to develop viable solutions to lawns and corporate landscapes in favor of diverse ecological natural communities which value biodiversity. We need to shift the basis of the green economy from low skilled lawn maintenance labor to more technically knowledgeable resource managers. Along with this paradigm shift comes increased market value and revenue opportunities. The need for biodiversity can be a catalyst in reforming traditional practices into a sustainable future.

Consumption of Natural Resources

The world only has a limited supply of natural resources and consumption rates are increasing. The United States is the world's largest consumer in absolute terms for many resources, eleven of the top twenty. Opportunities for using less are limitless when we look at our consumer economy. Principles for reducing consumption of natural resources can be applied to every aspect of business when you look at areas like packaging, recycling, specifying locally produced goods and use of low environmental impact materials.

Looking specifically at the landscape and nursery industry, specific opportunities emerge when we focus on business operations such as reducing fuel for landscape equipment, conserving water when irrigating plants, mitigating soil lost through erosion and eliminating peat moss or other harvested organic materials to amend soils. The green industry is indirectly responsible for 30% of water consumption in urban areas in the eastern United States for watering lawns, and in the West this figure is 60%. Guidelines for reduction or elimination of irrigation water are commonly available, but the environmental ethics need to be embraced by the entire industry. The green industry can be a powerful advocate in promoting sustainable solutions.

The world is shifting towards an environmental paradigm which fundamentally changes how we conduct every aspect of our lives. This green wave of change is upon us and it is our decision to sink or swim. We can allow the wave to overwhelm the industry or we can choose to participate as leaders riding the wave to a prosperous future of limitless opportunities. The future will be best defined for our industry internally by creative, innovative professions who have a passion for environmental change and civic commitment. By embracing the challenges to redefine our businesses practices at the most basis levels the industry will be guaranteed a meaningful front row seat in the new green economy. There is a lot of work to be done and a short amount of time available, so let’s get started in building a new green foundation for the future.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson